Tag Archives: St Petersburg

Festival of Speed

Two automobile events hit the Tampa Bay area this spring. The first is the Festival of Speed. This event displays the high priced cars and boats we all would love to own. The car show runs from March 6th to the 8th and is held outdoors at Vinoy Park. Attend the Festival of Speed to see for yourself where auto meets art.

Grand Prix of St Petersburg

The second exciting event for lovers of speed is the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg. This race is held on the streets of St Petersburg, with the beautiful waters of Tampa Bay within view. Watch professional racers zip through the streets of one of America’s favorite vacation destinations. This event hold all the thrills you are looking for in professional racing.

Illuminated Light Parade

Set on the beautiful St Petersburg waterfront, the 2015 Illuminated Night Parade is a night time treat. This grand display of lights travels through the streets of St Petersburg, each float casting bright light into the coastal towers of St Petersburg, Florida. Enjoy floats, marching bands, dancers, and race cars in town for the Grand Prix of St Petersburg. This is definitely a great weekend to visit this Gulf Coast city.

Upcoming Events on the Florida Gulf Coast

If you are looking for an exciting getaway from the chilly winter duldrums, the Florida Gulf Coast might have the answer. Aside from warmer weather than nearly anywhere else in the United States, the Gulf Coast is also known for its endless line up of festivals and events. The winter of 2015 will be no exception to that rule. Here, below, you will find a list of events coming soon to the Florida Gulf Coast. The list includes some of the top events. It does not include them all. The Florida Gulf Coast has more events in 2015 than you might imagine!

Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso Under One Roof

The famous Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg, Florida is a fantastic museum for art enthusiasts. It is also a remarkable start for those new to the world of art. The Dali exhibits, open year round, are fascinating. With the inclusion of works from Pablo Picasso, the museum becomes a must-visit location. The additional exhibits of Picasso’s works began in November 2014 and will run until February 16th, 2015. Be sure not to miss this intriguing combination of two of the world’s most famous artists.

Treasure Island Kite Festival and Sport Kite Competition

This gigantic kite event is set on the expansive swath of sand in Treasure Island, Florida. Unlike any other kite event you will find, the Treasure Island Kite Festival and Sport Kite Competition is a joy to attend. The 2015 event will be held January 16th through the 18th. See the biggest kites in the sky hovering over the beautiful sands of the Florida Gulf Coast. Watch stunt kite competitions, and stroll the sands to stand beneath your favorite monster kites. If you like the beach, oversized displays, and loads of bright colors, this is the event for you.

Running and More Running on the Florida Gulf Coast

If you enjoy participating in or spectating marathons or running events, then be sure to hit the Florida Gulf Coast this winter. Three great events will be held on our shores, each one unique in its own right.

The Clearwater Distance Classic

The Clearwater Distance Classic event will include a true marathon distance (26.2 miles), plus other, shorter events, down to a 5 mile course. The staging grounds for this event is popular Coachman Park, an open air park on the waterfront of Clearwater Harbor. The event will be held January 18th. An expo for the event will be held at the park on the 17th.

Discover Caladesi Island 5K and 10 Miler

This Caladesi Island running event is truly unique. Caladesi is a natural island with no roads. This race will take place on the beach itself on Saturday, January 24, 2015. Runners will enjoy one of the most beautiful natural beaches on Earth as the setting for these 10 mile and 5K events. This will be one to remember for both participants and spectators.

2015 Gasparilla Distance Classic

The Gasparilla Distance Classic is a great way to get a taste of famous Tampa Bay. Well-known for its scenic water views, Bayshore Blvd runs a surprisingly long distance of the waterfront. The scenic drive is the setting for the race named after the famous pirate, Gasparailla. Enjoy beautiful homes, sparkling bay waters, and the Tampa skyline on this multi-tiered race. The 2015 Gasparilla Distance Classic takes place February 21st and 22nd.

Pinellas Folk Festival

Located at the fascinating Heritage Village in Largo, Florida, the Pinellas Polk Festival uses the historic theme of the park to its advantage. Heritage Village is home to an intriguing display of old Florida homes and other buildings, with walkways leading through the park. Tours are available, on a schedule, to guide you through the historic buildings. The event is scheduled for January 31st, 2015, 10am to 4pm. The Pinellas Folk Festival adds music, food, live demonstrations, and speakers to a location that is already bursting with interesting artifacts.

Gasparilla Pirate Fest

Also known as the Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, this event is one of the highlights of the year for Tampa Bay. The pirate invasion is a must-see event, with pirate ships and a massive flotilla of private boats entering the Port of Tampa. Following the boats, a Mardi Gras style parade cruises the waterfront, complete with plenty of pirates and loads of bead necklaces for the kids. This noisy, lively parade will lift your spirits and leave your kids with big smiles. The street festival, with a vibrant street scene that is the peak of the year in the Tampa Bay area, is fun for everyone, the nighttime activities more attuned to adults. The invasion runs from 11:30am to 1pm January 31st, followed by the parade at 2pm to 5:30pm. The street festival runs two days, January 30 and 31st, from 10am to 10pm. Be sure to visit the Gasparilla Pirate Fest if you are in the Tampa Bay area at the end of January.

Clearwater Beach Uncorked

Clearwater Beach Uncorked is a wine tasting and food event held on Clearwater Beach. It is an upscale event aimed at those who love to sample wine and food. Taste creations from some of Clearwater Beach’s best. The 2015 event will be held February 7th and 8th.

For the Love of Baseball

Spring training is a happy time in Tampa Bay. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays arrive in town to give Clearwater and Dunedin a perfect opportunity to enjoy the sport. Regardless of what team you root for in the regular season, take advantage of this extra helping of baseball served up locally. Phillies train from March 1st to April 2nd. Blue Jays train from March 3rd to the 31st. Spring training on the Florida Gulf Coast is the perfect excuse to come out to the ball park!

Fun on the Florida Gulf Coast

If you are looking for a fun spot to spend your winter, take another look at the Florida Gulf Coast. Aside from our mild winters and remarkable beaches, we also are host to a steady stream of great activities. Come visit us!

Vacation Paradise

We enjoy welcoming people to Clearwater Beach and the other beautiful white sand shores of our home, Pinellas County, Florida. While investigating what makes our vacation paradise so interesting, we came across various collections of facts about Florida and our home county that were unique. We’ve distilled a few of the more relevant ones to share with you here on our Florida Beach Rentals blog.

Fun Florida Facts

Seven Mile Bridge: Florida is home to the nation’s longest bridge, Seven Mile Bridge, which spans the Florida Keys. Instead of building the spans over the open waters, they constructed it elsewhere and shipped the completed pieces to the Keys to be connected.

Florida Oranges: Florida produces about 70% of the Unites States’ oranges and roughly 40% of the world’s oranges.

Longest Coastline: Florida does not have the longest coastline in the United States! Alaska has more coastline, we come in second.

Oldest City in the US: Saint Augustine, on Florida’s east coast, is the oldest city in the United States, settled by the Spanish in 1565

Most Southern State in the U.S.: Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States! Hawaii is farther south, we come in second.

Longest River Sailboat Race: The Annual Mug Race is held in Jacksonville, Florida, on the Saint Johns River. The race spans 42 miles.

Florida Bald Eagles: The second largest breeding population of bald eagles in the United States is in Florida. That comes as no surprise to those who live in Florida, as our state is a birdwatcher’s paradise.

Fun Facts about Clearwater Beach Region

Pines VS Palms: The name of our county comes from the Spanish “Punta Pinal,” or “Pine Point.” You can see some of these beautiful and abundant pine trees today by visiting Honeymoon Island State Park. The nature trail at this fantastic park is shaded by the pines that gave Pinellas County its name.

Longest Sidewalk is in Tampa: Tampa lays claim to having the longest continuous sidewalk in the country, weighing in at 4.5 miles. The waterfront sidewalk is popular for walking, biking, and skating for good reason. It winds along the bay, with views of beautiful old homes, the active waters of Tampa Bay, and the Tampa skyline. It is also the location of the yearly Tampa Gasparilla Pirate parade.

Fountain of Youth: The waters of Espiritu Santo Springs rise to the surface at Safety Harbor, Florida. The springs were discovered by explorer Hernando De Soto, the namesake of breathtaking Fort DeSoto Park at the southern reaches of Pinellas County. Some legends suggest that he was looking for the Fountain of Youth. Local Native American Tribes knew of the springs, and, as time went by, so did the world, the location becoming a renowned destination for those seeking its touted curative powers. A resort now rests over the site, where visitors can still enjoy the famous spring waters.

First in Commercial Aviation: While the Wright brothers hailed from Ohio, creating the state motto, “First in Flight,” Florida’s Tampa and Saint Petersburg earned the accolade for the first commercial passenger flight. A scheduled service for passengers wishing to cross Tampa Bay was run by aviator Tony Jannus, beginning on January 1, 1914.

Cigar Capital of the World: Ybor City, named after cigar manufacturer Vicente Martinez Ybor, was once touted to be the Cigar Capital of the World. Ybor created remarkably good conditions for his cigar workers and many of the buildings in which they resided are still standing. It is estimated that Ybor City created 700 million cigars a year. Located north of the City of Tampa, Ybor City is a fascinating destination for history buffs.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge: The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is another example of the modern style of bridge building in the Tampa Bay area. The new style replaces drawbridges with spans built high enough to accommodate passing boats, including the tall masts of sailing vessels. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is 4 miles long, including the causeway, and is built to accommodate not only sailboats, but rather full size ships, crossing the waters at 190 feet. Stopping is allowed on the causeway but not the bridge span. However, the views while driving, even from a vehicle of ordinary height, are spectacular.

The Pinellas Trail: Built upon a former train route, the Pinellas Trail runs from the north end of the county to the bottom, then curving to cross the width of the county, arriving at last at the St Petersburg waterfront. It has apparently earned the accolade of being the longest linear urban trail in the eastern United States.

People and Parks of Pinellas County: Pinellas County is a fun place to live. The small peninsular county has loads of shoreline, residents never being more than 15 miles from the coast. The western shore is lined with beautiful white sand beaches and the eastern side faces sparkling Tampa Bay, with a scenic drive along the mangrove coastline. Because of those facts, it has become one of the most popular places to live in Florida. In addition to the remarkable coastlines, Pinellas County offers 4,242 acres of parkland and 15,525 acres of preserves, all of which are found in the second smallest county in the state.

Salvador Dali Museum Grounds and Gift Shop

The first impression of the Dali Museum comes from the impressive exterior. The new Salvador Dali Museum, opened in early 2011, is an impressive structure of concrete and glass that is designed to be a tribute to Dali’s style. Built into the concrete of the building are large stones, naturally found in Florida. Aside from the building being visually unique, it is also designed to protect the priceless Dali art collection inside from potential hurricanes. At the back of the museum are tables and chairs under large umbrellas next to a beautiful, landscaped garden. A wishing tree is pinned with the adhesive wrist bands that serve as passes within the museum, while just beyond is a maze created by sculpted bushes. The garden area, the swirling patterns in the natural stone, the stark concrete walls, and the curving, multi-faceted windows succeed at impressing the visitors even before they have entered.

The doors open onto the gift shop, which is stocked with plenty of items related to Salvador Dali’s trademark works. Coffee cups, melting clocks, books of Dali art, T-shirts and hats, puzzles, and prints of Dali’s work to hang on your own walls are just some of the things you will find in the Dali Museum gift shop. Just beyond is the ticket counter, the museum café, and they centerpiece spiral staircase. The upper floor, on which you will find the art displayed, has an interior observation deck where you can peer over the harbor and marinas of St Petersburg, Florida, including the popular St Petersburg Pier and its iconic inverted pyramid building.

While all of these things are interesting in their own right, you will see them all before your reach the very best part, which is the gallery displaying the paintings of Salvador Dali.

How to Tour the Salvador Dali Museum

At the ticket counter of the Salvador Dali Museum each visitor is asked how he or she would like to experience the gallery. One can simply stroll the gallery viewing the art, of course, but two other options are available. A guided tour will explain the life of Salvador Dali, the history of the Morse family collection, and, of course, the individual paintings of the Dali collection. The third option is to use a pre-recorded audio tour with headsets. By tapping the number displayed next to some of the paintings, visitors get to hear about the painting’s history and how it related to Dali’s life, along with a brief interpretation of the piece. Regardless of which method you choose, the overall experience at the Salvador Dali Museum is guaranteed to be rewarding.

Salvador Dali Art Collection

Salvador Dali

The art inside the Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg, Florida, is from the private collection of the Morse family. The Morse family collected the works of Dali for many years before deciding that a more formal setting than their home was needed. As you tour the gallery, you will see, up close, some of the most famous works of Salvador Dali. The gallery setting is a large room with high ceilings. Art is hung on the main walls and on solid partition walls that run down the center of the room. The partitions walls provide the sensation of being in your own space to observe the works of art. Nothing separates the visitors from the artwork, allowing you to get as close as you like to the paintings. The gallery offers the freedom to tour at your own pace, and to study the works of art from any angle or distance you choose. The generous arrangement leaves the visitor free to appreciate the remarkable paintings of Salvador Dali in a very personal fashion.

Pinellas Trail Scope

The Pinellas trail currently consists of 37 miles of pathway that runs from Tarpon Springs in the north down through multiple communities until it reaches downtown St Petersburg at the southern end of the Peninsula. The trail is dedicated to Fred Marquis who was instrumental in the development of the pathway. Despite traveling through nine cities, the trail most often passes between tall trees that provide much welcome shade and solitude. You will find multiple opportunities to sightsee along the trail, the type of attraction depending on which section of the trail you choose. (We particularly like the connection to the bike path leading to Clearwater Beach.) The path will take you past waterways, interesting features of small communities, and the more complex sights of the larger cities of the peninsula. Taking the entire trail is a bit much for most people so just pick the area you are most interested in seeing. The trail winds through Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Belleair, Largo, Seminole, Gulfport, and St Petersburg. Choose your favorite city and get started on your tour of the Pinellas Trail!

Pinellas Trail Experience

Deciding which part of the Pinellas Trail is the best for you is a matter of personal preference. Some people enjoy the long stretches of wooded pathway while others like the stopovers in popular cities like Tarpon Springs or Dunedin. At Clearwater, you can take a diversion on the bike path over the causeway to the beach. In Largo you will pass by the large grounds of Largo Central Park and, farther south, Walsingham Park, home to Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village. Passing from Seminole to St Petersburg, you will have an opportunity to cross the longest bridge on the trail, spanning the waters of Long Bayou, with sweeping views across the water to the north and south. The trail begins –or ends- at the docks in St Petersburg, a great place to bike and walk along the scenic downtown waterfront. Regardless of where you use the trail, you are bound to have a relaxing and interesting experience. The memorable sights and enjoyable stretches of the Pinellas Trail are worth visiting.

More Information on the Pinellas Trail

Here are some links to more information as well as some maps of the trail

Clearwater Beach Day Trip Adventures #2

Fun Florida Gulf Coast Cities

Looking for a great place to go on a day trip from Clearwater Beach? The region has some great tourist spots that you might want to know about. Try sampling some of the tourist hotspots in the neighboring towns of the area. Here is a brief summary of what you can find in the towns and cities of Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, Dunedin, Tampa, and St Petersburg.

Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs is known best for its history and Greek culture. The sponge industry began in the early 1900’s with many Greek divers recruited for the industry. The Greek community still thrives in Tarpon Springs and so does the sponge diving industry. You will see this for yourself when you walk past the sponge-laden boats moored alonge the riverside docks. You will also have multiple opportunities to eat Greek food at the area restaurants. Gift shops abound in Tarpon Springs. The souvenirs have a nautical theme, with an interesting addition of specialty soap and culinary shops. The Tarpon Springs Aquarium is entertaining for adults and a lot of fun for kids. If you like history, you will love Tarpons Springs. The historic district makes a nice scenic drive. History buffs should not miss the antique shops on East Tarpon Avenue, the Tarpons Springs Cultural Center, or the restored Safford House.

Safety Harbor

Safety Harbor is a quiet town on the east side of the county that is known for its art. Main Street in Safety Harbor is a pleasant walk with a mixture of diners, restaurants, art shops, and pubs. The walk to the Safety Harbor City Marina and pier is a pleasant diversion, while the dock area are often used for community events. The small but interesting Safety Harbor Museum and Cultural Center is very nearby. The local library is bracketed by the Art Park to the north and Baranoff Park to the south. The well-known Safety Harbor Resort and Spa sits over natural springs, which have been in use as a spa since the early 1900’s. The scenic drive along the coast of Safety Harbor is one of the best in the area, with beautiful Phillipe Park near the north end of the scenic drive. The other thing to note about Safety Harbor is that they seem to have an endless line up of festivals and street fairs.

Dunedin

The Main Street strip of Dunedin is well-known for its large events and smaller street fairs. It hosts a Mardi Gras parade and a large St Patrick’s day evening event, as well as other seasonal events. Keeping an eye on Dunedin events is a good idea for anyone looking for diversions in the Clearwater Beach area. Main Street has a good number of pubs, restaurants, and gift shops. Main Street ends at a pier, marina, and city park, all within easy walking distance. Fresh seafood is available for sale at the docks. The popular Pinellas Trail bicycle and walking path runs directly through the center of town, and is built along the old railroad tracks. The old train station is a central historic building to the downtown area. The Toronto Blue Jays baseball winter training games are also held in Dunedin and are very close to Main Street.

Tampa

Tampa sits on the other side of Tampa Bay from the City of Clearwater, and is very likely where you will land when you fly into the area. While downtown Tampa is oriented more toward business than tourism, there are still plenty of great sites to see, especially along the many miles of waterfront. The popular Channel District is a great place to try out the dining or the bar scene. In the same general area you will find the Tampa Museum of Art and the Florida Aquarium. Another great museum you should visit is the Henry B Plant Museum, located at the grand hotel the railroad tycoon built to attract visitors to the area once the railroad was built. Old Water Street and Channelside Walk Way are great places to dine or spend the evening out. Close to the waterside attractions is the Tampa Bay Times Forum sports stadium. Tampa is also the home of the yearly Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, one of the largest events in the entire Tampa Bay area, in which a pirate invasion of Tampa is reenacted. The city of Tampa is large, so be prepared to drive between the many attractions.

St Petersburg

While St Petersburg is also a large city, the downtown attractions are all surprisingly close together. In a relatively small area along the waterfront you will find the famous Dali Museum, the St Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, and the St Petersburg Museum of History. The Bay Shore Drive area is a hotspot for nightlife and is a good choice for an interesting dining experience. The University of Southern Florida is found amid the downtown attractions, with its own Barnes and Noble bookstore. The developed shorefront parks go on for a surprising distance, including Vinoy park, North Straub Park, and South Straub Park, among others. The sports stadium is located on the western side of downtown. Two main attractions of downtown St Petersburg are the very large pier on 2nd Ave, and the popular Saturday Morning Market, an outdoor flea and farmers’ market.

Road Trip!

While on your Clearwater Beach vacation, don’t miss the opportunity to head out for a day of fun. Find out for yourself what makes the Central Gulf Coast of Florida one of the best places on Earth!